Dairy in the Classroom

Dairy in the Classroom brings high quality, hands-on, and TASTY dairy lessons to students right in the classroom!

Oneida County’s Dairy in the Classroom (DITC) welcomes you to our program! We collaborate with school districts to create hands on and authentic learning through agriculture paired with your current academic content. Our curriculum covers various topics such as food, conservation, farming, and more, and is adaptable to many grade levels. Lessons also align with language arts, math, science, and social studies to meet New York State and National learning standards.

This program is supported by Cornell Cooperative Extension Oneida County and serves all school districts in Oneida County. Target grades for this program in our county are Kindergarten through 6th grade.

Please reach out to learn more about our program - or to schedule a visit to your classroom!

Lessons are formulated based on your classrooms ages and needs.

Lessons Available Include:

All About Dairy Breeds: Grades 3rd - 6th - 40 minutes

Brown cows don’t give chocolate milk! Students will learn about the differences in the dairy breeds and how those characteristics help to make a tastier final product. Finishing the lesson with a puzzle game and trivia.

Whipping Butter into Shape: All Grades – 40 minutes

Let’s shake thing up a bit and explore how to change physical properties (liquid to a solid) using dairy products. This hands-on physical activity has youth turning their sample of heavy cream (liquid) into butter (solid) Students will enjoy tasting their final product.

Cow to Carton: Grades 2nd - 6th - 40 minutes

Working in teams, youth will construct a step-by-step timeline to safely move milk from the dairy farm to the grocery store shelves. Samples of whole milk will be provided.

The Efficient Recycler: Grades 3rd - 5th - 40 minutes

Students will learn the basic principles of composting used by dairy farmers to create their own take home compost in a bottle.

Cheesemaking a Liquid to a Solid: Grades 3rd & Up - 45 minutes

Observing and tasting the physical and chemical changes that dairy products undergo when subjected to heat. Making our favorite pizza topping, mozzarella cheese.

Many Milks: Grades 3rd & up - 40 minutes

Not all names mean the same! While exploring the differences of dairy milk to plant based “milks” students will have the opportunity to taste and compare whole, skim, almond and oat milk.

The Chemical and Physical Changes of Dairy: Grades 2nd - 8th – 40 minutes

Utilizing force we will change the physical property of a dairy product from a liquid to a semi-solid and then back to a liquid. Hot chocolate samples provided for all!

The Milk Making Mission: Grades 3rd & up - 40 minutes

It takes more than a farmer to make milk! Learn about the different STEM Based job opportunities required to put ice cream in the freezer.

Ice Cream Making: All Grades - 40 minutes

Students learn how to make homemade ice cream and taste the final product.

Milk vs Meat: Grades 3rd - 6th - 40 minutes

This cow is not like the udders! By identifying specific traits in different breeds of cows we’ll see how they meet our dietary needs. Explore the differences between Dairy and Beef cattle through a fast-paced trivia game.

Sun, to Moo, to You: Grades 3rd - 5th – 40 minutes

Reenforce the importance of the Sun on the life cycle by exploring how farmers utilize the suns energy to provide a healthy diet for their animals and ultimately us. Students will take home the seed starting activity Garden in a Glove.

It's all Greek to Me: Grades 3rd & up - 40 minutes

While evaluating the step-by-step process it takes for bacteria to turn milk into yogurt, students will participate in a taste test to discover the difference between Greek and conventional yogurt. 

Got Guts?: Grades 3rd & up - 40 minutes

Students follow the journey of food as it travels through a dairy cow's digestive system. Analyzing how these ruminant animals' multi-compartment stomachs are designed to break down their plant-based diet. 

Last updated September 8, 2025